


The Simple Art of Laughing

by Avistar123



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hugs, Kissing, Tickles, gays being gays, no beta we die like Summer, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28153551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistar123/pseuds/Avistar123
Summary: Sometimes, it's the simple things that make life all the more worth it. In Penny's case, it's learning how to laugh.
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	The Simple Art of Laughing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmokyrin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmokyrin/gifts).



**I don’t own anything from RWBY, that honor belongs to the fine people at Rooster Teeth**

**The Simple Art of Laughing**

**(For Cosmokyrin)**

* * *

Penny felt… cold.

It wasn’t a nice feeling; certainly not given the cold days she had been having flying all over Atlas. But, despite that, she always had one place where she could go to. One place where she knew she could always get warmth.

Ruby. Her first friend, the second ever human who believed she had a soul and now, her girlfriend. It had been quite an odd time, at least during the first couple of weeks, when Penny had no idea what it meant to be that. It all seemed to be happening so fast and… she had no idea what was going to happen. And yet, somehow that added to the wonder.

She was a real girl; she was experiencing things that real girls went through. And she was doing it with the one person she loved as much as her father. How she had done it, with all the horrors in the world threatening to stop her, she had no idea. But maybe she didn’t need to have one. Perhaps, it was just fine that her and Ruby were together, and living out their lives, their only thoughts about each other.

Which was why anytime she was alone; she always couldn’t help but feel cold. And she suspected Ruby felt the same. There was something about her that always seemed to fill her soul with warmth and happiness, something that always seemed to light up her life. Things always seemed brighter, always more beautiful whenever Ruby was around. Life seemed to lose some of it’s spark when she wasn’t around.

Which was why she was so glad to hear that Ruby decided to stay with Penny inside a cozy little room that she liked to call home. Well, it was more Pietro’s home but still! It was home to them, and she wasn’t going to have it any other way. Going to sleep together, waking up together, watering the plants together, their new life seemed to have on unifying theme. Together. And to her, that was something beautiful.

Despite that, she couldn’t help but wonder why on earth Ruby wasn’t still with her in bed! Checking the internal time, she remarked that it was barely 30 mins past one, no time to be out for a walk or even to run like they used to. So, where was she?

Softly removing the covers, she shuddered slightly before her internal radiator raised her temperature to a more… easier to manage level. Getting up, she silently lamented the loss of Ruby’s touch before deciding to look for her girlfriend in her house. As it turned out however, she didn’t have to look too hard to find her.

Walking into the pantry, she found a rather curious scene, with Ruby, dressed in only her nightclothes which seemed to have an odd effect on her systems, trying desperately to get… a cookie jar open?

“CURSE THIS INFERNAL CONTAINER!” She whispered out as loudly as she could.

Seeing her girlfriend struggle so much, Penny was left with a puzzled face as she watched Ruby fumble around with the before eventually losing her grip and making the jar tumble to the floor, shattering.

“Uhhhh, girlfriend Ruby? Are you okay?” She asked, concerned if any of the glass hit her girlfriend.

Unfortunately, it seemed like her concerned response only seemed to further alarm her girlfriend.

“Ahhhh!” Ruby screamed out, before laying flat on her back on the table. “I swear! I wasn’t doing anything, I just wanted cookies!”

Seeing her girlfriend Ruby in such distress, Penny rushed over to her side and immediately placed her hands on her shoulders, completely unaware of the position she had placed herself on. Staring down into Ruby’s eyes, she said “Fret not, girlfriend Ruby! It is okay! We can always replace the jar! But my real concern right now is for you. Did any glass hit you?”

“N-No. Uhhh, Penny?” she said, her face slightly reddening.

“What is it girlfriend Ruby?”

“You’re kinda on top of me.” She said, her face flushed.

“Oh sorry! Would you prefer if I moved you to the bed?” She asked, getting off the table and helping Ruby sit up.

“Oh no! I don’t think that’s gonna be necessary Penny! After all, it’s not like I- OW!” Ruby cried out, as her foot hit the ground.

Immediately laying her back on the table, revealed that a piece glass did indeed get into her foot.

“Ruby, I’m going to ask you to be very still, okay?”

“Mhm!”

Yanking the shard out from her girlfriend’s foot, she heard a yelp of pain from Ruby. Grabbing her off the table and carrying her in her arms to the bathroom she quickly washed off her wound and after using proper technique cleaned up the wound and placed a bandage over it. Then picking Ruby up again, she gently placed her on the bed.

Entering into the bed along with her, she pulled the covers on both of them before cuddling with her, like they always would. Hugging her tightly, she rested her face against Ruby’s feeling her soft yet warm skin against her cold face. Laying there for some time, Penny waited until Ruby’s breathing slowed down to something of a calmer rate, she finally spoke up.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Thanks to you I am. I don’t know why my aura didn’t stop the glass, although it might have just been yesterday’s work being so tiring.”

“Indeed, you were on active duty for 12 hours, out of which you took down 10 Sabres, 2 Goliaths and 20 Centinels.”

“Only that much? I must finally be getting old.” Ruby said with a laugh, that Penny always appreciated, but never quite understood.

“Ruby? How do people laugh?” Penny asked, a little curious, she never really could understand why people did it.

“Oh, it’s just something we do. It’s kinda like breathing but like… if you only did it while you thought something was very funny.” Ruby explained.

“So, Yang’s jokes.”

“Hahahahaha, nahhh! But in all seriousness, you should try it! It’s a lot of fun.”

“Okay, tell me a joke then!”

“Uhhh…. What’s a shark’s favorite number?”

“Ate.”

“Darn it you already knew that one.” Ruby said, which made her smile. “Well, huh I’m all out of jokes.”

“But you know what I’m not all out of?” Ruby said, before raising her hand and wagging her fingers. “Tickles!”

Soon enough Penny found herself bombarded with tickles all over her, somehow activating receptors she had never even known about and eventually leading to her… laughing? Somehow Ruby did it. Even with Penny having no prior knowledge of the action, she had managed to make her laugh, and seeing the amazed look on her girlfriend’s face made it all worth it.

“I-I didn’t even know; I could do that.” Penny said, looking to her hands.

“Well know you do!” Ruby said, clasping her hands with her own and giving Penny a smile. Which she reciprocated with a kiss. Ruby’s eyes went wide open with shock at first, before both of them closed their eyes and merely sank in the moment. It was such a simple act, and yet, it strengthened her belief that she was real, all the same. She could’ve stayed in that moment for all eternity and she wouldn’t have complained.

**Not as long as she had Ruby by her side.**


End file.
